Three Green Meadow Waldorf School junior-level ensemble members participated in the All-County Music Festival last month. Green Meadow is a member of the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) and its local affiliate, the Rockland County School Music Educators Association (RCMEA). Membership in these associations gives us access to several music festivals that happen every year: a solo festival and “All-County” festivals for larger ensembles for musicians in grades 4 through 12.
For our Green Meadow musicians, these events offer some of the first opportunities to participate in larger musical groups outside of their school ensembles. The solo festival, usually held in May, involves preparing a solo and scales for a short performance, which is evaluated by an “adjudicator.” That evaluation entitles the musician to then apply for acceptance into the age-appropriate All-County ensemble, which is held on a single weekend the following school year. Musicians who are in 10th or 11th grade who have completed the solo evaluation are also welcome to apply for All-State ensembles, where they make music with some of the highest-level musicians in New York State.
Green Meadow has had students in all these festivals (including All-State) for years; for many students, it opens the door to playing in other youth orchestras and bands, chamber music opportunities, and involvement in college-level music making. At Green Meadow, any musician in grades 4 through 12 who is ready for that extra musical challenge is encouraged to apply to these festivals.
In the 2020-21 school year, many of the festivals did not happen due to the pandemic, but the solo festival in May 2021 went on, through submission of a video of the required scales and solo. This was no mean feat for those who chose to do this! All three of Green Meadow’s applicants for the junior-level ensemble were admitted to the Orchestra festival that happened in early February 2022. Hopefully, their success will encourage many more of our students to try out this coming year, and spread the excitement of making music to an ever-wider circle in our community.
